Die Free
by mew-xena
Summary: A rebel army. A battle with 50 to one odds. The Titans last stand.


**This is a one shot inspired by a set of my favoritebattle speeches. Hope you like it.**

Robin stood in front of the rag tag band. One thousand strong. Yet it was not nearly enough to defeat Slade's army. He sighed. By selling weapons, Slade had gained enough money and political support to overthrow the Earth.

His first target: The Teen Titans.

They had fled to a small, island named Junior. It was formerly an American military outpost. Junior, the third atomic bomb that was never deployed, was created here. During the three years in hiding, they had accepted numerous rebels, until their forces almost rivaled Slade's. But then a freak accident had wiped them out.

_# Flashback #_

_'DIEEEEEEEE!' Tabisha's shriek pierced the night air. Her hands cut the wind that whipped around her in quick, thrusts. She floated hundreds of feet above the ground, a battle raging around her. _

_A battle of the winds._

_Suddenly a large boulder was picked up by a stray gust and flew through the air. It was dropped on a large building in the central of the camp. Now, normally this wouldn't be a problem. One building can easily be repaired._

_But twenty can't._

_That one 'insignificant' building was the main gas chamber which had tunnels leading to half of the buildings in the camp. The boulder dropped was flint. And when flint is hit harshly with any stone…_

_VOOOM!_

… _it starts a fire._

_Fire plus gas equals… well you get the picture._

_Half the camp was in flames._

_All but a thousand died that day._

_The Titans themselves had watched the death of Tabisha, in the arms of her only sister, Abi._

_"Abi." She reached up to touch her sister's sooty cheek. "I'm so sorry."_

_"No," she said, shaking her head frantically. "No," Abi repeated, "it's not your fault, it's his. That traitor. It's not your fault you lost control, it's not-"_

_"But it is." _

_Tashiba looked deep into her sister's eyes. "It is my fault and that's okay because," here she broke into a fit of coughing, "because I'm dying. They'll be avenged. I can die happy." She started coughing again. The Titans were shocked to see blood. _

_She was coughing blood._

_Tabishsa noticed their stares. "Broken rib… punctured… punctured… lung… love you…" her voice faded out as she fell unconscious, a dark sleep from which she would never awaken._

_In this world or the next._

_#Flashback#_

Robin stood in front of the few left, their faces scared from long bloody battles, eyes cold from years of death. They were dead souls, living only for revenge.

But then he looked closer.

And he saw. No matter how hard they tried, none could keep all emotions from their eyes. In some he saw anger. In some, guilt. But in most, he saw grief. In each burned a passion. Revenge, love, desperation, each took their part in powering the soul.

Robin stood before them, trying desperately to say something.

"Tomorrow the enemy comes. You know him, you always have. If you wish, you may leave. Titans East have built a camp in Alaska in case in case…" his voice trailed off. "Those who want to leave, you will board the boat at midnight tonight. Our prayers go with you." He stood, trying to of think of words to inspired them.

Abi stepped forward. "Let me take a crack at it Robin." He nodded and she walked up to replace him at his spot. She paused, looking out at the small rebellion. Her heart cried out for these people, forced from their homes, forced to live in horrible conditions, hanging on to that last strand of hope, which was slowly diminishing away.

"You have a choice. Leave to return to your family and friends, try to escape before the inevitable comes, or you can stay. Stay and fight. Even I did not know my choice. That is, until I looked at you. In times of great sorrow, it is easy to let all thoughts and actions center around yourself and your survival. This is not a crime. It is life. It is not wrong to choose to leave today, in fact I will call those who do the wisest of us here. For they, inevitably choose life. And we all know life's _much_ better."

This brought a few nervous chuckles. Abi smiled.

"But there are some who chose to push away this instinct and remember that there is something worth fighting for. Think of your families. Your friends. They may die if we do not fight. Not may. Will. I look at you and see in your eyes the spirits of everyone I have ever loved. Their deaths have taught me much. I will not let them die in vain."

She whispered the last part softly. The crowd watched as Abi's eyes hardened.

"Tomorrow we fight. Not for a glorious victory, but to survive. Those of you who stay will look out at the enemy with fear. But only with this fear can there be courage. Remember what you fight for. I fight to protect the world I love, the freedom which I hold so dear. As you face this enemy, remember those who have come before us, and they will give you strength so strong that even in defeat, we will have victory.

"We may die tomorrow, but we shall die free."

The next day, Slade attacked.

It wasn't a battle; it was a massacre. Slade's forces out numbered the rebels 50 to one.

Everyone of them were killed.

Abi died taking revenge on the traitor, the man who caused her to lose her sister. She slit his throat as he pierced her heart.

The Titans were captured.

Starfire was used as a hostage to control Tameran. Slade's lust for power extended out of the galaxy.

Robin was made into Slade's apprentice.

Beast Boy became a joker. Slade forced him to turn into animals for his own amusements. A repeat of the enslavement by Sota.

Cyborg became the chief technician. He created new weapons for Slade.

Raven became his 'daughter'. He took advantage of her feelings for her friends and tortured them in her sight until she lost control. She was a demoness now.

And so the Titans fell.

But they had their revenge. During a torture sentence. Robin had cried out three words.

_'Remember the Titans.'_

And Raven unleashed her powers. And killed them all.

And so ends the age of the Titans. A glorious age. An age where hope strived and good lived, for there were always those who were willing to protect it.

And we remember the Titans. For they died free.


End file.
